HEMPSTEAD, NY–Junior Trinity Williams scored a career-best 18 points, but it wasn't enough as Hofstra held off visiting NJIT for a 67-65 home win Saturday afternoon inside the David Mack Sports & Exhibition Complex.
Hofstra improves to 3-2 on the season while the Highlanders, who have dropped its last two contests moves to 4-3 on the young season.
The game had six lead changes and four ties, the final one coming in the fourth quarter 65-65 with twenty-eight seconds remaining. NJIT had an opportunity in the final possession, holding for one shot, but found themselves trapped near the sideline, having turned the ball over and sending Hofstra to the free throw line to seal the game, 67-65.
With less than four minutes to play in the fourth quarter, NJIT scored five straight points – all coming from the free throw line with Williams putting the Highlanders ahead by one, 62-61 at the 1:55 mark.
NJIT ahead by two, 63-61, Hofstra responded with a layup to tie the game at 63-all but NJIT's Lyzi Litwinko answered on the opposite end with a driving layup to put NJIT ahead 65-63 with forty five seconds left. Hofstra's Brooke Anya sank a pair of free throws for a 65-all tie.
Williams, which netted a career-best 18 points, pulled down eight rebounds and recorded four blocks. Sophomore Alejandra Zuniga was NJIT's other double-figure scorer, scoring 14 points. Lyzi Litwinko added nine points and freshman Madilyn Dogs filled up the box score with five points, six rebounds, four steals and three blocks.
Hofstra's Sorelle Ineza scored a game-best 19 points followed by Brooke Anya with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the free throw line.
After an early seven-point lead by Hofstra, 12-5, to open the first quarter the Highlanders went on a quick 6-0 run to slim the lead to one, 12-11, at the 2:50 mark. The home team took a six-point advantage 17-11 with less than 1:45 to play. NJIT connected on back-to-back buckets from Audrey Kormann and Aria Myers for a two-point game, 17-15.
Hofstra extended its lead to nine, 24-19, behind a 9-0 run, to begin the second period. NJIT used a 5-2 spurt sparked by an old-fashioned three-point play by Trinity Williams resulting in a Hofstra timeout with NJIT trailing 26-20 at the 6:50 mark. A 7-2 run by the visitors cut the Hofstra lead to within one, 34-33, capped by a fast break acrobatic layup by Lyzi Litwinko with one minute to go in the first half.
After the first 20 minutes, Lyzi Litwinko netted a team-best seven points followed by Kenna Squier (6), Kiana Brereton (5) and Trinity Williams (5). Litwinko, Williams and Mackenzie Wright-Rawls each grabbed three rebounds.
The Pride opened the third quarter scoring seven straight points, taking a 42-33 lead, resulting in an NJIT timeout. The Highlanders responded with a 9-2 run over a span of three minutes, trimming the deficit to one, 44-43, on a second chance layup by Trinity Williams at the 5:09 mark. The Pride pushed its lead back up to six, 51-45, after a 7-2 run with 3:17 left to play. Alejandra Zuniga sank a three-pointer from the top of the key, slimming Hofstra's lead to one, 51-50, with less than one minute remaining.
NJIT got going early in the fourth quarter, thanks to a three-point play by Alejandra Zuniga and a turnaround jumper by Madilyn Dogs to tie the game at 55-all at the 8:17 mark and a big time three-pointer from Trinity Williams gave NJIT its second lead of the contest, 59-57 at the six-minute mark.
Next Up
NJIT in a stretch of a five game road swing, will make a short trip to Fairleigh Dickinson on November 29. Tip off is slated for 7pm on the Yes Network.
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